Barnes Webster: Your first call

Source: Construction Digital

Date :01/12/2008 00:00:00

Committed to high quality craftsmanship and consistent reliability, Barnes Webster offers a friendly and reliable construction service, even in the downturn

Written by Robert Michaels and Produced by Anita Levis

Hearing something like “make us your first call for friendly, reliable, quality builders” certainly rouses curiosity. And when Barnes Webster and Sons Ltd made the claim, well, Exec thought it was worth checking out. So that is exactly what we did.

“At Barnes Webster and Sons our range of building work covers new-build, refurbishment and alteration, design and build, maintenance repair and includes working in occupied premises with the attendant of a high level of health and safety control and programme management,” says the firm.

Barnes Webster doesn’t just talk the talk, it walks the walk, providing a top quality building service within Brentwood and the surrounding area. “Whatever type or size of contract, our professional teams … will achieve a happy, safe working environment for all parties, completing projects on time, to budget, giving best value via the high standard we set ourselves,” the company adds.

Established in 1975, Barnes Webster and Sons provides a professional service based on “high quality craftsmanship and consistent reliability”. It has, as a result, enjoyed tremendous success through the years.

However, despite growing considerably, it is still able to offer the same personal approach that its clients have come to expect.

“Covering both domestic and commercial projects, our clients include schools, nurseries and colleges, elderly care and nursery homes, surgeries, clinics, hospitals and health trusts and sheltered housing,” says the firm.

CAREFUL CONSIDERATIONS

Like all contractors, Barnes Webster takes into account many factors when programming. But, unlike some, it tries to look at the schemes proactively and “as a whole”, incorporating “realistic lead times”.

It also advocates the use of off-site manufacture, which it actually encourages in order to reduce programme times.

And, as if that wasn’t enough, the Brentwood firm also promotes the use of modern methods of construction, believing it makes a more effective use of materials, speeds up housing delivery, enables high standards of quality design and can help reduce resource consumption.

“We believe it is a means of improving quality, reducing time on site, improving site safety and overcoming skill shortages in the construction industry,” says the company, which has explored many areas of modern methods of construction and off site manufacture.

“We continue to pro-actively modify our business methods to anticipate and meet the many challenges within the construction industry,” it explains.

IDENTIFYING RISK

Barnes Webster plays a pivotal role in helping clients to identify risk, using all of its industry experience to keep clients informed along every step of the construction. “Effective risk management requires a multi-disciplinary approach,” it says.

“There is never one simple solution to the management of a particular risk. As a contractor, we need to be involved at tendering stage to assess the risks identified, to allow us to adopt the appropriate pricing strategy. In addition, we will identify risks that have not been expressly identified in the contract documentation and judge whether these risks are considered legal to be carried out.”

Barnes Webster is committed to working with its clients closely in regard to all aspects of risk management, which could prove invaluable when it comes to reducing cost and delivering higher quality. It is also committed to the development of its “partnering workload”.